


Sugar Coat

by LadyDarkPhoenix (Phoenixfire)



Series: Flash Fiction [12]
Category: Iron Man (Comics), Iron Man (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Howard Stark's Bad Parenting, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Maria Stark's Good Parenting, Unhealthy Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-11
Updated: 2020-03-11
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:27:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23104717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phoenixfire/pseuds/LadyDarkPhoenix
Summary: The Starks are the perfect, successful family to anyone looking in from the outside. The truth is Maria works hard to make sure everyone sees the sugar coating and not what happens behind closed doors. This is a glimpse into her feelings on it all.
Relationships: Howard Stark/Maria Stark, Howard Stark/Other(s), Maria Stark & Tony Stark
Series: Flash Fiction [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/920469
Comments: 3
Kudos: 11





	Sugar Coat

Maria Stark sighed as she went into the bathroom to take her makeup off after another day full of charity meetings and spending time with her son, who was now asleep after asking about where his father was. She knew what Howard was up to. She wasn't as stupid as her husband thought, when he said it was all late nights in the lab. He didn't even have the decency to make sure the makeup stains were hidden on his clothes. To the outside world, the Stark family was the picture of perfection, but the truth was anything but.

Wandering out of the bedroom, Maria stopped to look at the bar and wished she could lose herself in the bottles or sleep with a stranger like Howard. Take pills like some of her friends did to deal with what their husbands put them through, but if she did that it would be lowering to his level and, having seen what it did to her own mother, couldn't live with herself if she was stuck in her own comfort and unable to protect her child.

She'd been taught since she was young that finding a man with a good job to take care of her was the most important thing. That once she found someone that could give her financial stability, it was her place to make sure he was kept happy so she'd never have to worry about being taken care of. It was her job to ignore indiscretions, take whatever moods he might be in, as long as it meant she'd have the status that came with having his name and avoid being a burden on her family for being an unmarried daughter. That's what her mother did and instilled in Maria.

There were times when Howard was too harsh with Tony during one of his frequent drunk episodes that she wondered what would happen if she fought back, if the illusion was shattered and the truth was revealed about the private side of Howard Stark that nobody but his family and the help knew about. Would it make that big a difference if she just stopped letting herself be abused behind closed doors? Would she still have friends if she stopped allowing herself to be a victim of circumstances and finally stood up for herself and her son? 

Turning away and heading to bed, Maria shook the thoughts out of her head. She'd never risk everything on a whim when things were mostly comfortable and not really horrible considering Howard had to be home to cause a scene. The only times she had to plaster a smile on her face and hide the lump of embarrassment in her throat was when they were out at an event together and he couldn't stop himself from flirting with other women in front of her as well the rest of their circle of society. That's when pretending they were a loving, normal couple was the hardest, but even if she ended up alone in the limo at the end of it, she still bore the dignified grace to pretend it was really just business with the boys and not that he was off at a hotel with whoever he picked up that night. Those were the times she'd wanted to wait up for him, to meet him in the driveway and tell him to go to hell for embarrassing her that way when she did her damnedest to make sure he had the perfect family and reputation from her end that the least he could do was not make her look like she wasn't doing her part to satisfy him. Just thinking how good it would be to finally give in to the anger and hurt she had to bury under the polished exterior to make her life work would feel so good but was also dangerous.

Maria settled under the luxurious covers on her bed, because of course she had her own bedroom since she produced the precious heir. She knew that dreams could contain everything she wished she could do but reality had to have that fine sugar coating on it if she wanted the safety and security for her and Tony that Howard's name and money provided. It would be fine as long as she put up the illusion for him. When everything was all said and done, it would be for the best. Just like her mother always said.

**Author's Note:**

> I have other ideas for this too. If you'd like to see other characters leave a comment below and I'll do what I can.


End file.
